Being a look back at cards from the Star Trek CCG, and what I thought of them back when they were fresh and new... in EPISODE order. At home with the Manheims continues...
PICTURE: While the zombie look is both interesting and original, there's entirely too much gray on this card: gray wall, gray pillow, gray shirt, gray beard... Still, it's more representative of the personnel than most headshots. A 3.5.
LORE: While the lore is mostly likeable, using a cool quote, for example, there's something a little bumpy about the syntax. 3.3 there.
TREK SENSE: I always have trouble with essentially friendly humans turning up as Non-Aligned. The Manheims may have exiled themselves from society, but they were still born Federation citizens. And if all Bajorans are Bajoran, Cardassians all Cardassians (even criminals and exiles), humans and Vulcans, etc., should always be Federation. Aside from that, Paul Manheim, yes, should be Science (I think that should come before any Civilian ideas when a character has devoted their life to the pursuit of science), and the Staff icon suits him. Astrophysics, though, might not. That skill should be reserved for the study and manipulation of stellar phenomena (stars, nebulae, black holes). The Manheim Effect smacks more of Physics, which would better account for the study of other dimensions, time travel, et al. Of course, Astrophysics also includes the study of spacebound singularities, and this may be the power harnessed by Manheim. Iffy. A x2 is a natural though - he manipulated time itself! As for the special skill, it is, of course, related to Manheim's Dimensional Door. As its creator, he can manipulate it (as he would continue to have, had he not suffered a "dimensional breakdown"). Closing and doubling it seem like solid effects. Not very inspired, but okay. The attributes - Integrity might be too high for a man who played with such forces with little regard for the fabric of reality (even though he did settle in a far corner of the galaxy); Cunning is appropriately high as, at any higher, the experiment would have been more under control; and Strength is at a science/older gentleman low which is good. Not impressed, so 2.7.
STOCKABILITY: As a Non-Aligned SCIENCE personnel with a double dose of Astrophysics and good CUNNING, you might find him useful in most any space mission-based deck (and the relatively high INTEGRITY will make the Romulans especially attracted to him). But that's all he really has to offer most of the time. His special skill works with a doorway that is far from being a staple card, but if you are using Manheim's Dimensional Door for some reason, Paul Manheim should be in your deck, giving its use more flexibility. You can double your card plays when a hiccup occurs, but you need Paul to be at the same planet. Since that doorway is risky to use (affects both players), you can nullify it with Paul at any time you realize your opponent is getting the better of you with the given deck configurations. Still, the card combinations here are so confusing, this isn't going to be a very common occurrence. Jenice Manheim present can make Paul an 11-13-6 personnel, almost overcoming his major STRENGTH weakness, but again, you'd have to use a lame card (Jenice - unless you're THAT scared of Ressikan decks) to create this effect. Hardly worth it. No, his main use will be as an Astrophysics personnel. There are plenty of missions that require the skill (sometimes in multiples) and many dilemmas that do, too (including a double dose from Gravimetric Distortion). That alone keeps him at a 3.
TOTAL: 12.5 (62.5%) A relatively weak card supported by even worse ones.
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